Sheet feeding and transferring means



April 1941 R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731-

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug 3, 1940 .7Sheet-Sheet l l/n ew/ar April 21, 1942. R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731.

SHEET FEEDING mm TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Au 5, 1940 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elma/14M NRN April 2], 1942. R, c, TALBOT 2,280,731

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 '7Sheets-Sheet 3 c.. 5 "n ,3; I 5 45 fii'a ii xii 4 7 i E 2% if my]llllllllllllllllll] 16 2 if Iii) G v V J9 j/fl Z/ f6 I 5y7 7 Vi K ff .Oz d 0 April 1942- R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 7Sheets-Sheet 4 .April 21,1942. c, T LBOT 2,280,731

SHEET FEEDINGAND TRANSFERRI'NG MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 '7Shuts- Sheet 5 lfl ill WW April 21, 1942. g, TALBQT 7 2,280,731

I SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3,1940 7Shuts-Sheet 6 Y jzzwamz 0.229250 April 21,1942.

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 7Sheets-Sheet 7 R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731

Patented Apr. 21, 1942 Richard 0. Talbot, Joliet, n1., assignor toWright:

Automatic TobaccoPacking Machine pany, Durham, N. C., a corporation ofNorth Carolina Original application August 3, 1940, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 12, 1941, Serial No. 383,035

18 Claims. (Cl. 271-12) The present invention relates to improvements insheet feeding and transferring means, and is applicable generally to thefeeding of sheets such as stamps or labels from a magazine andtransferring them to a point where they are to be applied to bottles orother containers, or otherwise employed or operated upon.

The invention is more particularly adapted for feeding and transferringrevenue stamps or other sheet-like objects to bottles in a machine ofthe type shown and described in my prior application Ser. No. 350,782filed August 3, 1940, of which this application is a division.

,In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bottle stampin machine having appliedthereto stamp feeding and transferring means constructed in. accordancewith the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top'plan view of the machine as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the driving means for the machine, this viewbeing a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale'and partly in section, ofthe stamp feeding and gumming mechanism and a portion of the stamptransferring means which conveys the stamps to the bottles on theturntable;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the cams which oscillatev thestamp magazine and control the operation of the stamp gripper;

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section taken through the lower portion ofthe stamp magazine on the line 8-8 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a detail vertical section taken on th line 99 in Fig. 8;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are detail views of the stamp magazine and stampgripper, showing the successive relative positions of these parts whileremoving the stamp from the magazine and engaging it with the gripper;

Fig. 13 is a detail vertical section through the stamp magazine. takenon the line l3|3 in Fig.

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are detail vertical sections through the stampgripper, on an enlarged scale, showing diagrammatically the manner inwhich the gripper removes a stamp from the magazine and delivers it tothe stamp transferring means Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the stampgripper;

Fig. 18 is a detail section l8-|8in Fig. 14;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the line Ill-l9 in Fig.16;

taken on the line Fig. 20 is a detail view of the mechanism cooperativewith the stamp transferring means for releasing the stamp therefrom whenpositioned above a bottle on the turntable;

Fig. 21 is a cross section taken on 2|2| in Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of. one of the stamp carriers on the stamptransferring means;

Fig. 23 is a detail section taken longitudinally through one end of oneof the stamp carriers, indicating by the dotted and full lines theoperathe line tion of one of the stamp impaling pins; and

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of a form of stamp which the machine isadapted to apply to bottles.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in thedifferent figures.

The bottle stamping machine, to which the present invention is shownapplied as an example of one manner of using the invention, comprises aframe I which supports a track I5 which extends lo'ngitudinally thereof,and a bottle conveyor l6, comprising an endless chain ll. havingplatforms l8 thereon for supporting the bottles, is arranged to travellongitudinally along this track in a direction from the left toward theright in Fig. i. This conveyor chain passes around a driving sprocket ismounted in suitable bearings at one end of the main frame and whichdrives this conveyor chain continuously in the direction stated, and theother end of this conveyor chain passes around an idler sprocket (notshown), suitably mounted on or adjacent to the machine. The sprocket i9is driven continuously by a chain Ell which passes around a sprocketwheel 2! fixed on ashaft 22 to which the sprocket I9 is fixed.

Thev bottles, resting upright on the platforms of this conveyor chainare guided, as they are advariced thereby, by pairs of rails 25 theinner ends 25 of which are curved inwardly to introduce the bottles, inupright position, to a turntable 29 the upper surface of which is on thesame levelwith the upper bottle supporting surface of the bottleconveyor [6. Another pair of bottle guiding rails 30 are provided forguiding the bottles as they are discharged from the turntable andconveyed by the conveyor l6 to'the delivery end of the machine. Thetracks 30 have curved portions 3!! which extend outwardly from theturntable for the removal of the stamped bottles therefrom and thereturn of the bottles to the conveyor I6. The travel of the bottleconveyor I6 from the left to the right of the machine as shown in Figs.1 and 2 will advance the bottles entering the machine at the left to theturntable 29 and, after the bottles have been stamped and are dischargedfrom the turntable, the bottle conveyor will continuously advance thestamped bottles to the discharge end of the machine where they may bereceived by a suitable table or other means for packing or otherdisposition.

The turntable 29 is supported on and secured to the upper side of ahorizontal gear wheel 35 so that it rotates in unison with this gearwheel, and the gear wheel 35 is supported rotatably on the main frameand on a shaft 39 the upper end of which is fixed to a part 3 of theframe of the machine, as by a bracket 40. The gear 35 is driven by agear M which is fixed on the upper end of a shaft 42 journalled insuitable bearings in the main frame, and the lower end of this shaft isconnected by bevel gears 43 to a horizontal shaft 44 which is journalledin suitable bearings in the main frame. The shaft 44 is drivenby'suitable reduction gears 45 from a horizontal shaft 46, and thelatter is driven continuously during the operation of the machine by anysuitable means such as an electric motor 41 which may be connected by abelt 48 to a belt pulley 49 on the shaft 46. sprocket wheel 50 fixedthereon and around which the chain for driving the bottle conveyingchain I1 passes. Accordingly, the turntable and the bottle conveyingchain will be driven continuously, and preferably the ratio of gearingis such as to cause the turntable and bottle conveyor to advance thebottles at the same speed.

The bottles are introduced from the bottle conveyor I5 onto theturntable 31 by a turnstile 55 so that they will be arranged in anannular series thereon and in properly spaced circumferential relationto be operated upon by an annular series of stamp afllxing devices 38which may be like those disclosed in my aforesaid prior application andmounted above and rotated in unison with the turntable, and the stampedbottles are removed from the turntable and returned to the bottleconveyor I6 by a turnstile 64. The turnstile 55 is fixed'to a shaft 56mounted adjacent to the edge of the turntable and driven by a gear 58meshing with an idler gear 59, the latter meshing with another gear 6Iwhich is of the same diameter, and is fixed to a shaft 62 on which theturnstile 64 is fixed, the gear 6| meshing with and beingdriven by theturntable gear 35 so that rotation of the turntable will rotate theturnstiles 55 and 64 in proper timed relation with the turntable toplace the bottles thereon and remove them therefrom.

The stamp affixing devices are mounted in an annular series above theturntable 29, these devices rotating in unison with the turntable andapplying and affixing stamps to the tops of the bottles. Theconstruction and mode of operation of these stamp affixing devices isdisclosed more fully in my aforesaid prior application, detailillustration thereof being deemed unnecessary for the purposes of thepresent invention.

The means provided by the present invention for feeding sheets, such asthe stamps A, in the form of strips as shown in Fig. 24, comprises amagazine in which the sheets or stamps are placed in stacked relation.This magazine, as shown, comprises a rear wall I20, front wall The shaft44 also has a,

sections HI and I22 which form a vertical slot finger I26 the lower endof which is fixed to the bottom wall I and the upper portion of whichextends vertically between the front plates I2I and I22 and isengageable yieldingly against the edges of the stack of stamps in themagazine, the stamps resting on the bottom wall I25. The

bottom wall I25 terminates short of the wall I24,

thus providing an opening through which the lowermost stamps in thestack may be removed successively from the magazine, and a suction plateI21 is mounted in this opening, this suction plate having a suctionaperture I28 which is open at the upper side of the plate so that itwill underlie a stamp resting on the suction plate, the suction platehaving a passageway I29 therein leading from the suction opening I28 toa nipple I30 to which a flexible suction hose I-3I may be attached. Thesuction plate, as shown in detail in Fig. 8, is mounted on a shaft I32which is journalled in a bearing I33 formed in or attached to the lowerportion of the magazine plate I20, and this shaft has an arm I34 clampedor otherwise fixed thereon; this arm carrying a. roller'l35 whichcontrols the operation of the suction plate relatively to the magazine.The magazine is pivoted at its upper corner above the suction plate to arelatively fixed bracket I38 which may be bolted or otherwise secured toa supporting plate I31, by a shaft I38 which is fixed by a flangedcoupling I39 to said upper corner of the magazine. The shaft I38 isjourvnalled to rotate in bearings I40 in the bracket I36 and it has anarm I fixed thereon and pivotally connected by a pin I42 to the upperend of a cam yoke I 43. The lower end of this cam yoke straddles and isguided by a block I44 mounted loosely on a shaft I45, and the cam yokecarries a roller I46 which operates in the cam track I41 of a cam I48,the latter being suitably fixed to the shaft I to rotate therewith andoperating to swing or oscillate the magazine to and fro about the shaftI38 as an axis. The shaft I45 is mounted in bearings in brackets I50 andI5I which are bolted or otherwise secured to the underside of the plateI31, and the bracket I50 has a cam I52 fixed to a side thereof, the

' roller I35 on the arm I34 attached to the suction plate operating inthis cam and thereby controlling the operation of the suction plate. Thecam I52 may be of rectilinear form and inclined as shown in Figs. 4 and9 at such an angle that the upper face of the suction plate 121 will bemaintained in a horizontal position, or substantially so, during the toand fro oscillation of the magazine by the shaft I38, as showndiagrammatically in Figs. 10, l1 and 12. The shaft I45 is drivencontinuously through bevel gears I55 from a shaft I56 the upper end ofwhich is journalled in a bearing in the bracket I5I, and the shaft I58is driven continuously by a pinion I51 which is fixed thereon and mesheswith the gear H which drives the turntable, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.The plate I31 which carries the stamp feeding mechanism, including itsoperating shaft I45 and the driving shaft I56, is supported by rods I58and braces I59 on the frame member 3.

suction stroke of the pump being timed to take place immediately priorto the swing of the magazine toward the gripper wheel, whereby a suctionwill be produced at the aperture I28 which will hold the adjacent end ofthe lowermost stamp in contact with the suction plate as the magazineswings, thereby separating the lowermost stamp from the rest of thestamps in the stack. A spring finger I26 attached at its upper end tothe front of the magazine and having its lower end inturned supports thestack of stamps above the one separated therefrom.

A revoluble gripper cooperates with the suction plate of the magazine toremove the stamps successively therefrom. This gripper comprises asubstantially circular wheel or disk I65 which is suitably fixed to theshaft I 45 and is located adjacent to the suction plate. The wheel ordisk I is grooved circumferentially, as shown at I68, and the majorportion of its periphery is circular and provides a pair of stampsupporting edges I61 on its periphery which are preferably recessed attheir outer sides to operate in a channel formed between a pair of stampguides I58 supported by ayoke I68 a portion of these guides extendingfrom the top of the gripper to the bottom thereof, concentrically of thegripper, and a continuation of these guides forming horizontaltangential extensions I69 supported in properly spaced relation by abracket I68, as shown in Fig. 14. These stamp guides have grooves I10intheir inner faces which, in the curved portions of these guides, areconcentric with the periphery of the gripper wheel I65 and are directlyopposite to the stamp supporting surfaces I81 thereon, as shown in Fig.19, and these grooves I10 extend longitudinally along the inner sides ofthe guide extensions I851. The grooves I10 form channels in which theedges of the stamps are guided to travel as they are withdrawn from themagazine, it being understood that the grooves are spaced apart adistance slightly greater than the width of the stamps. A portion of theperiphery of the gripper wheel I55 is notched at I11 and this notch hasa jaw I12 fixed thereinto extend transversely of the gripper wheel. Agripping finger I13 is mounted to swing in the groove I66 at the notchedside of the gripper wheel, this finger being fixed to a shaft I14 whichis mounted rotatably in the gripper wheel and is provided with anoperating arm I15 which is fixed thereto and carries a controllingroller I16. The end of the finger I13 has a jaw I11 thereon which isadapted to engage the relatively fixed jaw I12 in the gripper wheel, anda tension spring I18 attached at one end' to the finger 113 and at itsother end to a relatively fixed pin I10 in the gripper wheel tends toswing the jaw I11 into engagement with the jaw I12 and thereby grip theend of a stamp between them.

The operation of the gripper finger I13 is controlled by a cam I80 whichis fixed by a set screw or other suitable means in the bearing I8I inthe bracket I50, the shaft I being rotatable centrally of this cam, andthe roller I15 controlling the gripper finger riding around theperiphery of this cam and being held in contact therewith by the springI18 as the gripper revolves. The cam I80 is of such a shape and it is soset relatively to the gripper finger as to cause the gripper finger todrop onto the jaw I12 when the gripper finger reaches the top of 'thegripper wheel, as shown in Fig. 14, and to remain in contact with thejaw I 12 until the gripper finger passes the lower side of the gripperwheel at which time the gripper finger will be retracted from the jawI12, as shown in Fig. 16.

The stamp magazine is so located relatively to the gripper wheel and thecam I48 is shaped to so oscillate the magazine as-to cause the suctionplate I21 to separate an end of the lowermost stamp in the magazine fromthe stack and to introduce the end of the stamp into a position to begripped between the jaw I12 and the gripper finger 113 while the gripperrevolves continuously,

the rotation of the gripper wheel acting to withdraw the gripped stampendwise from the magazine, after which the magazine retracts from thegripper wheel. This operation takes place at each revolution of thegripper wheel. As shown in Fig. 10 the stamp magazine is in its normalretracted position and the gripper wheel I65 has reached the positionshown in this figure in its rotation. As the gripper wheel continues torevolve, the cam I48 swings the magazine on the shaft I38 as a center sothat the suction plate I21 approaches the top of the gripper wheel, asshown in Fig. 11. During ths swing of the magazine, the bottom thereofis tilted upwardly but the suction plate I21 is maintained in ahorizontal position by the action of the cam I52 on the cam roller I35,in consequence of which the end of the lowermost stamp adjacent to thegripper wheel is separated from the remainder of the stamps in themagazine, the end of the stamp projecting slightly beyond the free endof thesuction plate, and the suction plate, which is sufiicientlynarrow, enters the circumferential groove I68 in the gripper wheelbehind the jaw I12. A moment later, as the jaw E12 reaches its tionplate I21, due to the speed at which the magazine is oscillated, willhave substantially overtaken the jaw I12 and brought the end of thestamp into a position to overlie it, at which moment thegripper fingerI13 is allowed to drop by the cam I onto the end of the stamp and tothereby grip it between the jaw I11 on the gripper finger and the jawI12 under the action of the spring I18, as shown in Fig. 14.

The stamp gripped by the jaws I12 and I13 is carried, by the rotation ofthe gripper wheel I65; from the upper side thereof around the curvedguides I68 and to the lower side of the gripper wheel, the stamp beingguided by the circular rims I61 on the gripper wheel on which the stamprests and by the grooves I10 in the guides in which the edges of thestamp travel. The stamp is thus drawn by the gripper wheel from themagazine by its leading end, and when this end of the stamp reaches thelower side of the gripper wheel it is engaged by means which transfersthe stamp from the gripper wheel to the devices previously describedwhich apply and aflix the stamps to the bottles.

The stamp or other sheet transferring means provided by the presentinvention comprises an endless chain I which may be an ordinary rollerchain, this chain passing around the sprocket 82 on which the stampapplying and afilxing devices are mounted and around an idler sprocketi86 which is rotatable on a vertical shaft supported by a bracket I81which fits in gibs I88 on the underside of the plate I 31, an adjustingscrew I89 being mounted on the plate I31 and arranged to operate uponthe bearing bracket I01 to adjust the sprocket I66 to take up slack oradjust the tension of the chain. Thechain I 05 carries at intervalsalong its length a series of stamp carriers I99 all of which may be ofthe same construction, each carrier having a saddle portion I9I by meansof which it is bolted or otherwise fixed to links in the chain H95, andeach carrier is in the form of a yoke having guiding fingers l92projecting from one'side thereof, and having a pair of shafts I93rotatably mounted in the yoke near its ends, these shafts carrying hooklike pins or needles i90. Each shaft I199 is provided'with a spring I95which acts thereon to swing its respective pin upwardly, and each shaftis provided with a block I96 which is fixed thereon and has an armarranged to engage the respective yoke arm I92 and thereby arrest theswing of the pins when they assume substantially vertical positions. Oneof the shafts I93 has a cam I91 fixed thereon which is turned upwardly,and the other shaft I93 has a cam I98 fixed thereon and which is turneddownwardly.

The chain I85 and the stamp carriers thereon are guided as they travelbetween the idler sprocket I06 and the sprocket 82 by rails I99 whichare supported by brackets 200 fixed to a plate 20I, the latter beingsupported rigidly from the plate I31 by a suitable number of rods 202.

The chain during its travel passes between the rails I99 while the yokesI90 are suspended be- 20.I,'as shown in Fig. 5.

j Normally and as the stamp carrying yokes approach the gripper wheelI65, the pins I94 will be upturned and held in such position by thesprings I95. As the leading pin on a yoke passes beneath the gripperwheel I65, the pin I94 on its leading end will project above the planeof the leading end of the stamp as it is brought to the lower side ofthe gripper wheel I65 and, while the leading end of the stamp is stillgripped by the jaws I12 and I11, this pin will pierce the leading end ofthe stamp, immediately following which the gripper finger I13 is openedto release the leading end of the stamp, as shown in Fig. l6. The chainI85 and the stamp carrying yokes thereon are driven from the sprocket 82so that they will advance at the same peripheral speed as that of thegripper wheel I65, and after the leading'end of the stamp hasbeenreleased by the gripper wheel the stamp is drawn through the curvedguides I69 and then through the straight guide extensions I69 by thepins I94 on which it is impaled, the stamp being guided by its edgeswhich engage in the grooves in the guide extensions I69, and when therear or trailing end of the stamp approaches a point directly-beneaththe gripper wheel, the trailing pin I94 is retracted or lowered byengagement of its depending cam I98 which comes into contact with a cam205 which is located in its path, thereby causing this trailing pin tobe lowered and as it reaches a point directly beneath the center of thegripper wheel I65, the cam I96 reaches the end of the cam 205 and thespring I95 is thereby caused to snap this pin upwardly so as to piercethe trailing end of the stamp, as shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 4 shows the camI98 as it is riding on the cam 205. In order to prevent damage to thestamp carrying mecha- 75 nism in the event the machine is turnedbackwardly for inspection, adjustment or other purposes, the cam 205 iscarried by a plate 206 which is pivotally connected to the upper ends ofa pair of parallel links 201, the lower ends of these links 1 beingpivotally mounted on plates 208 attached to the underside of the plateMI. The plate 206 is normally held in its raised operative positionagainst a stop pin 209 by a tension spring 2"), this spring howeverbeing yieldable to permit downward deflection of the cam 205 should thestamp carrier chain be moved backwardly.

The stamp, impaled upon and thus suspended between the upturned pins I94of the stamp carrier, is conveyed by the chain "I to the periphery ofthe sprocket 92, and as each stamp carrying yoke commences its travelaround the periphcry of the sprocket 82 it introduces the stamp betweenthe top of a bottle as the same is fed onto the turntable 29 by theturnstile 55 and one of the stamp applying and afiixing devices of theannular series which rotate with the turntable, it being understood thatat this time the respective stamp applying and affixing device is in itsfully elevated position. The moment the stamp applying and affixingdevice has descended and pressed the middle of the stamp upon the top ormouth of the bottle, the pins I94 are retracted to release the ends of.the stamp. This releasing means is shown in detail in Figs. 20 and 21.It comprises a plate 2l0 bolted or otherwise fixed to the outer chainguiding rail I99 and having a pin 2 located in the path of the cam I91on the shaft of the leading pin I94 so that as this cam engages the pin2| I, the leading pin 94 is swung downwardly, thereby retracting thispin from the leading end of the stamp. Another plate 2I2 is bolted orotherwise fixed to the outer chain guiding rail I99 and this platecarries a pin 2I3 which is arranged in the path of the downturned cam Ion the shaft of the trailing pin I94 so that as the stamp carrieradvances this ca'm will engage the pin 2I3 and will be deflected therebyin a direction to retract the trailing pin I94, thereby releasing itfrom the trailingend of the stamp. The pins 2 and 2I3 are preferably solocated as to cause both pins to be simultaneously retracted to releaseboth ends of the stamp. In order to avoid damage to the stamp carryingmechanism in the event the ma chine is turned backwardly for inspection,adjustment or other purposes, the pins 2 and 2I3 are carried by levers2I4 and 2I5 respectively which are pivoted at 2I6 and 2I1 respectivelyon and 2I3 without obstruction.

As each stamp is drawn around the gripper wheel I65 it is provided witha strip of glue or other adhesive on that side of the stamp which is tobe applied to the bottle.

roll 225 is driven from the shaft I45 by a gear 228 fixed on said shaftand meshing with a gear 229 fixed on the glue roll shaft 225. In orderto enable the glue transfer roll to be adjusted relatively to thegripper wheel and the stamp there on, the bracket 221 which carries theglue transfer roll is pivoted at 230 to a bracket 23I which is bolted orotherwise fixed to the underside of the plate I31, a portion of thepivoted bracket 221 projecting to one side of the pivot 230 and beingacted upon by a compression spring 232 between it and the bracket-23Land an adjusting screw 233 is threaded through the plate I31 and bearson a portion of the bracket 221 at the opposite side of the pivot 230,adjustment of thescrew 233 in one or the other direction moving the gluetransfer roll 225 toward or from the periphery of the gripper wheel I65.roll receives glue or adhesive from a glue roll 235 which rotates incontact therewith. This glue roll is fixed on a shaft 235 which isjournalled in a bracket 231, the latter being slidable on gibs 238secured to the underside of the plate I31 so that the glue roll 235 maybe adjusted toward and from the glue transfer roll 225. The glue roll235 is provided with suitable means for supplying it with glue or otheradhesive, a glue pot 240' being shown in the present instance which isof cylindrical form and having lugs 24I at its ends which are slidableadjustably in slots 242 in the bracket 2-31, the glue pot having a slot243 in a side into which the periphery of the glue roll 235 may extendand thereby pick up glue or adhesive from the pot, and the pot beingadjustable toward and from the glue roll by a pair of screws 244threaded in the bracket 231 and bearing on the lugs 24I, compressionsprings 245.

in the bracket 231 and threaded into the gib 238 on the underside of theplate I31.

If desired, means may be employed for moistening the stamps before theyare applied to the bottles in order to soften the stamps and thus renderthem more pliable and thereby facilitate their application to thebottles so that they will lie in intimate relation with the bottles.Such means may consist of a brush 260 (Fig. 4) mount-' The glue transferthe turntable by the turnstile 55, the bottles will be placed on theturntable in positions immediately beneath the respective stamp applyingand affixing devices.

The stamp conveyor chain I85, which is driven from the sprocket 82 andhence at a speed corresponding with the speed of rotation of the row ofbottles and the stamp applying and affixing devices, is suppliedwithgummed stamps A successively by the gripper wheel, the stamps beingimpaled upon the pins I94 so that they are suspended between these pins,and the stamp conveyor chain carries the stamps to the stamp applyingand aflixing devices in a path which is tangential to the circular athof rotation of said devices, the stamps being thus introducedsuccessively between the top of each bottle on the turntable and therespective stamp applying just been introduced operates to apply thestamp ed above the path of travel of the stamps as they are advanced bythe chain I85 toward the bottles, this brush being located in a positionto brush over the stamps as they are suspended between and advancedendwise by the pins I94, and supplied with water at a suitably slow ratethrough a hose 26I leading from a suitable reservoir 262.

In the operation of the machine, the bottle conveyor is drivencontinuously to convey the bottles from the left toward the right inFigs. 1 and 2 by the motor 41 which also operates to rotate theturntable 21 and the sprocket 82 continuously and to also drive thestamp feeding shaft I45 continuously as well as to operate the pump 25Icontinuously. The turnstile feeds the bottles successively around thecurved portions 25 of the guide rails onto the'turntable while thelatter revolves, thereby placing the botties on the turntable in anannular row, and as the stamp applying and aflixing devices 38 carriedby the sprocket B2 are also rotated in unison with the turntable and arespaced circumferentially thereof at intervals corresponding to theintervals at which the bottles are placed on to the top of the bottle,immediately following which the pins 2H and 2I3 operate upon the stampcarrying pins I94, incident to the travel of the chain I85, and retractor withdraw them from the ends of the stamp, thereby releasing the endsof the stamp for application to the bottle.

The stamp feeding means, including guides to engage the edges of thestamps and thereby guide them while they are being conducted by thegripperwheel to the stamp transferring means, insures the placing of thestamps in properly alined position on the carrying pins, and suchalinement of the stamps is maintained until the stamps are placed on thebottles.

The means provided by the present invention for transferring the stampsfrom the stamp feed ing means to the bottlesor the like for applicationthereto not only enables the stamps to be readily brought intoapplyingposition between the bottles or other containers and theiraffixing devices, but by carrying the stamps endwise while suspended bytheir ends on carrying pins, applying of the stamps uniformly and evenlyto the bottles or other containers is ensured. By withdrawing the pinsfrom the ends of the stamp immediately after they stamp has been appliedto the bottle or other container, the stamp is released from its carrierwithout tearing and thus mutilating the ends of the stamps.

Although the sheet feeding and transferring means has been hereindescribed as applied to. a

it is to be understood that, in the broader aspects of the invention,references in this specification to stampsare intended to include suchlabels or similar strip-like or sheet-like objects, and that theinvention is not limited in its use to the stamping or labelling ofbottles but is applicable to various containers in which such strip-likeor sheet-like objects are to be fed and supplied.

I claim:

1. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack ofsheets, a rotatable gripper wheel, means for separating a sheet from thestack in the magazine, means for relatively moving the magazine andgripper wheel to bring an end of the separated sheet into a position tor be gripped by the gripper wheel, and means for rotating the gripperwheel unidirectionally to engage said sheet and remove it from themagazine.

2. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack ofsheets, means for separating a sheet from the stack in the magazine, arotatable gripper wheel carrying a gripper, means for moving themagazine to bring an end of the separated sheet into position to begripped by the gripper on said wheel, and means for rotating saidgripper unidirectionally to grip the sheet and remove it from themagazine.

3. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack ofsheets, means for separating an end of a sheet from the stack, arotatable gripper wheel carrying a gripper to grip said'end of the sheetand withdraw it from the magazine, and a guide extending around aportion of the gripper wheel and having means for engaging the edges ofthe sheet and thereby guiding it.

4. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack ofsheets, a separator carried by but movable relatively to the magazinefor separating the lowermost sheet from the stack, a rotatable gripperwheel carrying a gripper,

means for moving the magazine and separator toward the gripper wheel,means for operating said separator during the movement of the magazineto separate a' sheet and bring an end thereof into position to beengaged by said gripper, and means for operating said gripper to engagean end of the separated sheet and withdraw it from the magazine.

5. Sheet feeding means comprising a pivotally mounted magazine tocontain a stack of sheets, a rotatable member carrying a gripper, meansmounted to swing with the magazine about its pivot for separating an endof a sheet in the magazine from the rest of the stack therein, means forswinging the magazine and said separating means toward said memberduring its rotation to bring the separated end of the sheet intoposition for engagement by the gripper, and means for operating thegripper to grip the end of the sheet at the moment of engagement of thegripper therewith.

6. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack ofsheets and having a suction member pivoted at one end of its bottom toen- 0 gage an end of the lowermost sheet, means for lowering saidsuction member periodically, and a reciprocatory pump connected to saidsuction member and operative on its suction strokes during the loweringmovements of said suction member to separate the lowermost sheet fromthe remainder of the stack.

'7. Sheet feeding means comprising a pivoted magazine to contain a stackof sheets, a member. pivoted on the magazine and operative to separate asheet from the stack in the magazine, a gripper to engage an end of thesheet separated by said member and withdraw it from the magazine, andmeans operative by pivotal movement of the magazine for operating saidsheet separating member.

8. Sheet feeding means comprising a gripper, a magazine to contain astack of sheets and pivoted to swing at its lower end toward and fromthe gripper, a member carried by the lower portion of the magazine forseparating the lowermost sheet from the stack therein for engagement bythe gripper, and means for operating said member and guiding it towardthe gripper during the swing of the magazine.

9. Sheet feeding means comprising a gripper; a magazine to contain astack of sheets and pivoted on a substantially horizonal axis to swingat its lower end toward and from the gripper, a sheet separator pivotedon the lower portion of the magazine, and means for maintaining theseparator in a substantially horizontal position during the swingingmovements of the magazine.

10. Sheet feeding means comprising a gripper, a magazine to contain astack of sheets and pivoted on a substantially horizontal axis to swingat its lower end toward and from the gripper, a sheet separator pivotedon the lower portion of the magazine, and means including a relativelystationary cam for maintaining the separator in a substantiallyhorizontal position during the swinging movements of the magazine.

11. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel having aperipheral groove and carrying a gripper, a magazine to contain a stackof sheets and mounted to swing its lower portion toward and from thegripper wheel, a sheet separator mounted on the lower portion of themagazine for lowering and raising movements and having a relativelynarrow portion to enter the peripheral groove in the gripper wheel, andmeans for lowering the separator during each swing of the magazinetoward the gripper wheel to separate a sheet from the stack and positionits end for engagement by the gripper.

12. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel carrying agripper, means for feeding an end of a sheet to the gripper, and guidesextending around a portion of the periphery of the gripper wheel andhaving grooves therein to receive opposite edges of the sheet andthrough which the sheet is drawn by the gripper.

13. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel carrying agripper, means for feeding an end of a sheet to the gripper, and guidesextending around a portion of the periphery of the gripper wheel andhaving grooves therein to receive opposite edges of the sheet fordirecting it past adhesive applying means and through which the sheet isdrawn by the'gripper. 14. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatablegripper wheel, spaced guides extending around a portion of the peripheryof said wheel, a gripper on said wheel operative to grip an end of asheet and draw it around said-wheel between said guides, andtransferring means movable past the gripper wheel and carrying devicesoperative to receive the leading and trailing ends of the sheet as theyare drawn between said guides.

15. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel, spacedguides extending around a portion of the periphery of said wheel, agripper on said wheel operative to grip an end of a sheet and draw itaround said wheel between said guides, and transferring means movablepast the gripper wheel and carrying pins opera-- transferring meansmovable past the gripperwheel and longitudinally of the tangentiallyextending portion of the guides and carrying pins one of which isarranged to pierce the leading end of the sheet as it is drawn by saidgripper and the other of which pins is arranged to pierce the trailingend of the sheet, and means 1" or operating the gripper to release thesheet after the first-mentioned pin has pierced the leading end of thesheet, the pin which pierces the leading end of the sheet beingoperative to complete the drawing of the sheet '.between said curvedportion of the guides and to draw it through the tangentially extendingportion of the guides.

17. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel, spacedguides a portion of each of which is curved and. extends around a partof the periphery of said wheel and another portion of which extendssubstantially tangentially from said periphery, a gripper on said wheeloperative to grip an end of a sheet and draw it around the curvedportion of the guides, transferring means movable past the gripper wheeland longitudinally of the tangentially extending portion of the guidesand carrying pins one of which is arranged to pierce the leading end ofthe sheet as it is drawn by said gripper and the other of which pins is'provided with means for snapping it into piercing engagement with thetrailing end of the sheet, said pins suspending the sheet between themand operating to advance the sheet endwise between the tangentiallyextending portion of the guides,

18. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel, spacedguides a portion of each of which is curved and extends around a part ofthe periphery of said wheel and another portion of which extendssubstantially tangentially from said periphery, a gripper on said wheeloperative to grip an end of a sheet and draw it around the curvedportion of the guides, trans- Ierring means movable past the gripperwheel and longitudinally of the tangentially extending portion of theguides and carrying pins one of which is arranged to pierce the leadingend of the sheet as it is drawn by said gripper and the other of whichpins is provided with a cam for snapping it into piercing engagementwith the trailing end of the sheet, said cam being yieldable into aninactiveposition when said transferring means is moved backwardly.

RICHARD C. TALBOT.

